Living Together
by Alexiper
Summary: It seemed like a logical choice, to move in with Amy while the Ashcroft residence was in repair. But seeing so much more of each other every day can cause the kind of intimacies that can make it awkward for the both of them sometimes…
So, this season isn't looking too promising on the Karmy front, _but_ the sneak peek for 3x10 did show that KARMY ARE GOING TO LIVE TOGETHER. So I went with that idea, because it's the only thing which I think might still save this ship. Both Karma & Amy POV.

* * *

Sometimes it was heaven, sometimes it was hell. After the fire at Karma's house, it seemed like a logical decision: Molly and Lucas would move in with Diane—who was happy to have them—but since that idea was unimaginable to Karma, and Lauren's bedroom was empty anyway, it made sense that Karma would get to stay there for a while. And Karma felt secretly giddy about the idea of having her BFF so nearby at all times.

And it could be blissful. They didn't need to arrange movie nights anymore, because all either Karma or Amy needed to do when they felt like having one, was to pass through the bathroom to ask the other girl if she was up for Netflix and popcorn. If they wanted to head out, they could be ready to go in five minutes. If they didn't share clothes before (they did), it was almost impossible to keep their clothes separated now. (It exasperated Farrah sometimes, but Karma secretly loved it.) Of course, it did mean that Karma strictly speaking didn't need a drawer in Amy's closet anymore—and vice versa—but they kept doing it anyway. If their periods weren't in sync before (they were), they were absolutely now, and Amy could always count on Karma to rub her tummy when she got cramps. (And Karma was always glad to comply, because she knew how bad Amy's cramps could get.)

On the other hand, of course, there was Sabrina.

Amy had made it very clear to the both of them when she and Sabrina had gotten back together, that the rivalry had to stop. That they didn't have to be friends, for all she cared, but that they had to at least try to get along for her sake. That they were the two people she loved most in the world, and that she didn't want to give up on either of them. (It had made both Karma and Sabrina suck in a breath for a moment, because they both heard right that Amy basically said that she _loved_ Sabrina, right? If Sabrina didn't look like a lovesick puppy before, she sure did now. But all Karma felt was a queasiness she couldn't explain to herself, because Karma wasn't anymore the _one_ person most important in Amy's life.) Karma promised herself not to sabotage Amy and Sabrina's relationship—especially now she'd seen that Sabrina's feelings were, in fact, genuine. But it was tough, sometimes, especially when she could witness from so close by how happy they both were together.

Karma still couldn't believe that Felix had let Amy go just like that. When she confronted Felix about it, and stuttered out something about her having feelings for him, Felix had just smiled and shaken his head, saying that he didn't think that _that_ was quite what was going on. Karma had been puzzled and hurt, because it felt like a rejection, but she didn't want to dwell on it too long. Not that she _could_ either, because since she moved in with Amy, her days had been pretty much filled with thoughts, worries, and _feelings_ about her best friend. And it only got worse when Sabrina was there.

It was still relatively okay when they were just making out, because there was relatively little noise. And even though Karma still _knew_ they were making out, she was still able to distract herself sufficiently if she put in her earphones and sang along under her breath. Once Amy and Sabrina started hooking up, however, it got painful. It wasn't that they were _loud_ , exactly—Amy always told Sabrina to keep it down, be it mostly because she didn't want to embarrass her _mother_. But that first excruciating time, once Karma had gotten onto what was going on by the _noises_ coming from their room, she'd been rooted to the ground, standing in the bathroom because she'd been too oblivious to realize what had been going on _before_. But while Amy regularly shushed Sabrina, it was clear that the blonde _really_ knew what she was doing, and Karma felt weak in the knees whenever she heard Amy moan or groan in a way that was _entirely_ new to Karma. That first time, Karma hadn't dared to even move for fear of alerting the couple to her presence next door. The next time, she'd been in her room, and had put in her earphones instantly, her face burning red because suddenly there were _thoughts_ and _images_ in her head, and she couldn't focus on whatever she was trying to do, because even though she really didn't _want_ to hear the sighs, groans, the slight creaks of the bed—part of her craved it, too. Which was why, after a particularly difficult week, she found herself on the bathroom floor, listening to the sounds next door, tears running across her face and one hand in her panties, because she was feeling (inexplicably) heartbroken and (inexplicably) turned on. It was all kinds of confusing, but she tried to never let Amy in on anything.

And after all, seeing Amy so _happy_ , Karma firmly resolved to keep these—what _ever_ they were—to herself. There was one morning, though, when Karma and Amy went to school together, and Amy started babbling happily about how she had a wonderful girlfriend, and how she got to live with her best friend, and how happy it all made her, that Karma was reminded of another morning so many months back, after they'd just started faking it, and _Karma_ was the one babbling happily about her sexy secret affair with Liam Booker, and how cool it was that she got to hold her best friend's hand in public, and how happy it all made _her_ … The implications of the reversal, however, seemed too confusing to consider, so Karma had discarded the thought as soon as it'd come. She convinced herself that she was happy too. For Amy, but for herself too, surely?

The feelings didn't go away, however, and she even suspected that Amy was onto her sometimes. Particularly that _one_ time, when Karma had been having way too vivid images in her head of Amy and Sabrina together, and her hand had crept underneath the waistband of her panties, and she had let out a breathy 'Amy' as she touched herself, and then a second later _Amy_ had opened the door saying "What is it?" because she must've thought Karma had called her. Karma had shrieked and yelled at Amy to get the fuck out, and Amy's eyes had widened comically when she realized what was going on, and she'd turned around and slammed the door immediately. Karma had slumped back against the pillows, feeling the burn of shame climb up to her face, when Amy opened the door again, and Karma, looking like a dear in headlights, looked at her with fear and vulnerability. Amy's expression had been unreadable when she ordered Karma not to move, and she walked around the bed, sat down on the edge of it, and slipped her hand underneath the sheets to find Karma's own hand _there_. Karma's breath had hitched, but she hadn't been able to move, to look away when Amy placed her other hand next to Karma's hand, leaned over and whispered into Karma's ear, "It feels better when you do it like _this._ " Karma was sure she would've come the next second if it hadn't been for her _stupid_ alarm, going off way too early and leaving Karma confused, unstable, and more than a little turned on.

Of course _that_ had to be a dream.

The dreams started coming back after that, only Liam wasn't there anymore, and it was all Amy, only Amy, always Amy.

Then there was _that_ night, which she thought _should've_ been a dream, but hadn't been. It was right after Amy and Sabrina had gotten back together, and right after Karma had moved in, when Karma had stepped into Amy's bedroom late at night. Sabrina had gone away, and Karma had felt so inexplicably lonely, that she couldn't help herself. Without knocking, she opened the door and walked up to Amy's bed, then stood silent for a moment as she watched her best friend in peaceful slumber. Amy looked beautiful asleep, with her hair all over the place, a little snore now and then escaping her mouth which Karma could only find adorable. Karma had felt a pinch of yearning in her chest, and had moved to lay down on the edge of the bed, not daring to touch Amy, but longingly looking at her from this—small yet unbridgeable—distance.

She almost fell out of the bed when a half-asleep Amy turned around to face her with a dopey smile and a sleepy 'Sabrina…' tumbling from her mouth. Karma couldn't move, couldn't speak as a still-asleep Amy moved forward, and pulled Karma's hips towards her, pulling her whole body flush against her own, and then—Karma swore her heart stopped for a moment—pressed a soft yet passionate kiss against her lips. Karma couldn't help herself: she kissed back, and she swore she'd forgotten how soft Amy's lips were, and she'd certainly never known the feeling of Amy's _tongue_ in her mouth, (simply because they'd never gone that far,) but even a few lazy strokes were enough to make her tremble. Then, as soon as Karma had gotten over the shock, Amy let go and dropped onto her back again, letting go of Karma. She smiled dopily in her sleep, her eyes still closed, still oblivious. Karma could only just hear the contented sigh coming from her lips. 'Woah.'

Karma sat up on the edge of the bed, looking down at Amy, panic beating in her chest, her lips tingling, her skin buzzing. She licked her lips, pressed them tightly together, and felt a pinch in her chest as she whispered, 'I know.'

* * *

To Amy, it had seemed like the most natural thing in the world: offering Karma to stay with her for a while. Farrah hadn't objected, and while Amy felt it might take a while for her to tell Lauren who had taken her old room, on the whole she didn't feel like anyone had any big problems with the arrangement. Even Sabrina seemed more than happy to put up with it, and after New Year's Eve, when Amy had taken both of them aside to tell them once and for all that she really needed them to get along, they had been—not exactly chummy—but somewhat less frosty. There was no more hostility on Sabrina's part, at least; Sabrina, Amy knew, loved Amy (at least, the word 'love' hadn't been spoken yet, though Amy hoped it was more a matter of not daring to say it out loud than it not being true), and she would like Karma for her sake. And Amy couldn't have been happier about that.

Sometimes she did wonder if it wasn't awkward for Karma when Sabrina came over; after all, she was just a room away while Amy and Sabrina were doing— _stuff_. But in the moment itself, Karma was really the last person on Amy's mind, and it was only after that she wondered if maybe this was why Karma sometimes seemed a bit more distant than usual. The thought made her feel a little embarrassed, and a little sad, though she couldn't explain why. On the whole, she couldn't have had a greater start of the year. Sure, the fire at the Ashcroft house was all kinds of terrible, but having her BFF just a room away was all kinds of _awesome_ , and she had a girlfriend who loved her. Compared to last year, which was all kinds of _shitty_ , the new year had started out pretty great.

And yet, Amy worried sometimes. Because there was that one conversation with Felix which sometimes made her look at Karma with wonder and worry. Felix, who was supposed to end up finally happy with Amy. Felix, who told Amy that Sabrina really wasn't faking it, even though it might've started out like that. Felix, who told her that Sabrina had asked _Karma_ , of all people, to help her to get Amy back, but that Karma had shot Sabrina down. Felix, who had told her that he thought Karma might have feelings for him, but that he also thought that those feelings weren't what was really going on with Karma. Now _that_ one puzzled Amy. When Felix first told her about Karma's supposed feelings for Felix, she'd felt both annoyed and relieved, partly because Felix was supposed to be _her_ crush, and what right did _Karma_ have to develop feelings for him? (Okay, she realized that that wasn't really fair, but nothing about this was fair.) But then, she felt also relieved, because maybe, if Felix and Karma got together, she wouldn't feel so guilty about rejecting Felix again. He deserved better. And yet, Felix had assured her that (1) he wasn't into Karma like that and that (2) he didn't think Karma really had any feelings for Felix either, if she really searched herself. When Amy had asked what the hell he meant by that, he'd simply smiled and said that the only thing the two of them had in common was _her_ —Amy. He'd left it at that, and the conversation had stuck in the back of Amy's mind for the next few weeks. She still didn't know what it meant, but subconsciously she did feel the direction Felix was going in, and she certainly didn't want to go _there_ anymore, so she tried to push it back and enjoy herself. No complications.

And sure, living just a room away from Karma really _was_ awesome, because they almost always had each other near, and now Karma could just knock on her door to wake her up, instead of calling her. (She had done that exactly once on the first morning after she'd moved in, and Amy had shaken with laughter for how silly Karma was being. Karma had come into Amy's room then, waggling her eyebrows, and Amy had smiled goofily, saying that it was even better to _see_ Karma first thing in the morning, more than just hearing her voice. Karma had looked at her then with a mixture of bashfulness and smugness, and Amy couldn't help but think how adorable it was.)

Some awkwardness couldn't be avoided, however, and _that_ really bothered Amy sometimes. Living together meant that they saw a lot more of each other, and they couldn't avoid the kind of intimacies which bordered on awkward. Like when how Amy had barged into the bathroom because she needed to pee, and Karma was just showering, and Amy had made a complete U-turn and all but banged into the door she'd just barged through. They'd laughed about it afterwards—and it's not like Amy had really _seen_ much, what with the fogged-up glass—but Amy was more careful about barging into her bathroom after that. Like how Amy had been late, and Karma had barged into _her_ room to tell her that they needed to get going, and Amy had only just been in her bra and panties, and Amy was sure Karma had seen _that_ , because she clapped a hand in front of her eyes immediately. They'd also laughed about that afterwards—and really, it was nothing Karma hadn't seen before—but Amy couldn't forget the shiver she'd felt when Karma's eyes lingered just a little too long before she realized what she was doing.

Karma was also distracting. Getting into bed at night took a lot longer, because they brushed their teeth together now, and toothpaste and water were entirely too tempting to _not_ goof off now and then, so they often ended up in their respective beds much later than they usually would. Then there were times when Amy entered the bathroom during a study break (they studied together more often now, but since they didn't share all courses, Amy had to study sometimes when Karma didn't), she stopped short to listen to Karma playing the guitar and singing in her room. Karma's voice had only gotten more beautiful over the years, and Amy often couldn't stop herself from leaning against the door for a while, closing her eyes to listen to what her friend was singing. There were more sad songs recently, and that, too, worried Amy. She would've liked to confront Karma about it, but that would've meant confessing that she'd been eavesdropping, and her pride prevented her.

Then there was also the fact that sleepovers were—well, they couldn't really have them anymore, because they lived together now. There was really no excuse to sleep in the same bed anymore, because they both had their own bed in the same house now. Amy in particular—though she didn't mention this to Karma—felt like it might be weird since she was with Sabrina now, and 'sleeping in the same bed' wasn't as innocent as it had been when they were 12. Amy couldn't deny, though, that she missed Karma in her bed sometimes. Snuggling with Sabrina was nice— _very_ nice—and it made her feel wanted, excited, and thrilled. Snuggling with Karma made her feel like home.

Amy was happy, she thought. And this year was going to be amazing.


End file.
